Chamber and committees

Questions and answers

Parliamentary questions can be asked by any MSP to the Scottish Government or the Scottish Parliamentary Corporate Body. The questions provide a means for MSPs to get factual and statistical information.

Written questions must be answered within 10 working days (20 working days during recess)
Other questions such as Topical, Portfolio, General and First Minister's Question Times are taken in the Chamber

Urgent Questions aren't included in the Question and Answers search. There is a SPICe fact sheet listing Urgent and emergency questions.

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Question reference: S5W-10960

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 28 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Angela Constance on 22 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government, further to the answer to question S5W-10389 by Kevin Stewart on 9 August 2017, what action it is taking to tackle anti-Catholic prejudice specifically.

Our Tackling Prejudice and Building Connected Communities action plan contains a number of actions around tackling hate crime, including the establishment of a multi-agency delivery group and expert advisory panel to progress the recommendations of the Independent Advisory Group on Hate Crime, Prejudice and Community Cohesion; a national hate crime awareness raising campaign which will be launched in the autumn; and consideration of the findings of Lord Bracadale's independent review of hate crime legislation.

The role of education is recognised as critical in this regard, and we are committed to progressing the implementation of our new relationships and behaviour policy; publishing a refreshed approach to anti-bullying, including prejudice-based bullying; considering learning from evaluation of the education inspection indicator relating to inclusion, working with Education Scotland to ensure that best practice is disseminated; and exploring further the potential of youth work (as a model of peer-led intervention) to contribute to tackling hate crime and prejudice.

We will continue to work closely with representatives of the Catholic Church and other key stakeholders as we implement these actions.

For information, a full list of action commitments in this area can be found at http://www.gov.scot/Publications/2017/06/1336/5.

Question reference: S5O-01288

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 20 September 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 27 September 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when it will review its guidance on mobile phone use in primary schools.

Question reference: S5W-10790

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 16 August 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 30 August 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the bioresource mapping work conducted by Zero Waste Scotland will be published.

Question reference: S5O-01065

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 24 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 1 June 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what action it is taking to reduce A&E waiting times.

Question reference: S5W-09185

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 10 May 2017
Current Status: Answered by Derek Mackay on 18 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how much will be generated by the large business rates supplement in the (a) East Lothian, (b) Edinburgh, (c) Midlothian and (d) West Lothian local authority areas in 2017-18.

Question reference: S5O-01034

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Wednesday, 17 May 2017
Current Status: Taken in the Chamber on 25 May 2017

To ask the Scottish Government how many meetings it has had with production companies since January 2017 regarding locating a new film studio in the Lothian region.

Question reference: S5W-08516

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government when the implementation group will be appointed to oversee the recommendations in The Best Start: A Five Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland, and which individuals and organisations have been invited to join it.

Question reference: S5W-08515

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Thursday, 30 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Aileen Campbell on 18 April 2017

To ask the Scottish Government whether representation from charities and parents will be included on the implementation group to oversee the uptake of the recommendations in The Best Start: A Five Year Forward Plan for Maternity and Neonatal Care in Scotland.

The Best Start Implementation Group will be chaired by Jane Grant, who chaired the review.

The Chair will appoint an implementation group, comprising representatives from NHS organisations who will be delivering the change, professional bodies and service users, and we expect that the group will meet shortly. Engaging with women, families and NHS staff underpinned the Review and partnership and co-production will be a core feature of implementation. The membership will be published on the Scottish Government website once it has been finalised.

Question reference: S5W-07332

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 20 February 2017
Current Status: Answered by Mark McDonald on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government (a) how and (b) when it plans to evaluate the success of the baby box in tackling deprivation, improving health and supporting parents, following the full rollout in Summer 2017.

We are still analysing the findings from the pilot research which is due to finish at the end of this month. This research will provide initial insights into the benefits of the Baby Box and has been designed to inform main delivery.

It will also provide information on its longer-term impact and identify any logistical issues that may need addressing prior to national roll-out in the summer.

We are currently considering how best to evaluate the Baby Box nationally but intend to keep under review its contents and response of parents. Drawing on lessons from the pilot research, we will consider what longer-term monitoring and evaluation is required to help ensure that the future development of the scheme is underpinned by as strong an evidence base as possible.

Question reference: S5W-08027

Asked by: Jeremy Balfour, MSP for Lothian, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
Date lodged: Monday, 13 March 2017
Current Status: Answered by Roseanna Cunningham on 22 March 2017

To ask the Scottish Government what plans it has for public consultations on (a) animal breeding and (b) the sale of pets.

The possible changes to legislation regarding animal breeding and sale of pets are being considered as part of an ongoing review of pet welfare. The Scottish Government has already held a number of meetings with stakeholders around that ongoing review; and will be looking at the need for legislative change. The Scottish Ministers will bring forward plans for appropriate full public consultation in due course.